Blog

July 30, 2019

We don’t mince words on our website at the established Clearwater criminal defense law firm of Hoskins & Penton when we address the reality of probation for legions of affected individuals. We directly note this: “It’s like being sentenced without a trial.”

July 21, 2019

A 70-year-old Lakeland, Florida, man was recently arrested for reckless driving. He was barreling along I-4 while standing on the driver’s seat, much of his body protruding up through the moonroof of his Cadillac.

July 17, 2019

There is virtually no doubt among legal authorities in any American state, including Florida, that a criminal record relating to what is considered a major crime (a rape, robbery or drug trafficking offense, for example) should permanently attach to a defendant.

April 15, 2019

If you’ve ever been pulled over and questioned by a police officer, you’ve probably wondered about the best way to handle the situation. For instance, do you have to discuss where you are going, or where you are coming from? Are you forced to comply with field sobriety tests?

March 7, 2019

Florida residents report driving after drinking too much at a higher percent than the national average, which is why it is important to know the consequences. What penalties will Floridians face for a first, second and third DUI?

July 10, 2018

A landmark decision that may have a huge impact on people in Florida was issued by the U.S. Supreme Court on June 22. The decision will greatly expand the privacy protections that people enjoy under the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

July 2, 2018

Some minors who are under the age of 21 in Florida may be surprised that they can be charged with a DUI when they have very little alcohol in their systems. Like all of the other states, Florida has a zero-tolerance law in place that establishes a much lower blood alcohol concentration limit for minors than for older drivers.

June 27, 2018

A Florida man was arrested on June 25 and accused of possessing crack cocaine. Alvin McCants, 50, formerly a defensive end for the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was pulled over in his car as he drove near St. Petersburg in the early morning hours.

June 22, 2018

Police officers in Florida and around the country often hear strange questions from members of the public. However, the request allegedly made by a 49-year-old Hawthorne resident to deputies from the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office on June 12 was unusual even by law enforcement standards.

June 15, 2018

Evidence against some people in Florida facing criminal charges might be based on eyewitness identification, but this is not always reliable. In one case in California, a man spent eight years in prison on a rape conviction and was released after being exonerated on DNA evidence.